KLA-Tencor Corp. (KLAC) experienced unusually high volume on Feb. 02, as the stock lost 1.56% to a closing price of $66.07. The stock saw 3.01 million shares trade hands over the course of the day on 17,340 trades. Given that the stock’s average daily volume over the last month has been 1.49 million shares a day, this represents a pretty substantial spike over the norm.

KLA-Tencor Corp. has a P/B ratio of 34.96. It also has a P/E ratio of 26.4. The stock has traded between $70.28 and $44.95 over the last 52-weeks, its 50-day SMA is now $67.08, and its 200-day SMA $58.10.

KLA-Tencor Corp is a supplier of process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related nanoelectronics industries.

Headquartered in Milpitas, CA, KLA-Tencor Corp. has 5,880 employees and is currently under the leadership of CEO Richard P. Wallace.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RUSSELL 3000

The Russell 3000 is not well known outside the world of finance, but it’s one of the strongest indices out there for getting a broad sense of the stock market. Unlike the better-known Dow Jones Industrial Average or S&P 500, membership on the Russell 3000 isn’t selected by committee. It’s simply the 3,000 most valuable companies in the country.

With 3,000 stocks making up the index, it gives a broad look at the markets, including the small-and mid-cap companies that aren’t on the Dow or the S&P 500. And with a rules-based system for determining membership, there’s no bias that could potentially limit membership. That’s why many financial professionals will turn to the Russell 3000 long before the better-known indices when trying to take the temperature of the market.

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